ing Current Federal Legislation and - PDF document

1 1esearch ing Current Federal Legislation
1esearch ing Current Federal Legislation and 1egulations: &uide to 1esources for Congressional 2taff )erry 6. ,ansfield Head 1eference 2ervices December 8, 2017 Congressional Research Service 7 - 5700 www.crs.gov RL33895 Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations Congressional Research Service 2ummary This report is designed to introduce congressional staff to selected governmental and nongovernmental sources that are useful in tracking and obtaining information on federal legislation and regulations. It includes governmental sources , such as Congress.gov, the Government Publish ing Office ’s Federal Digital System (FDsys), and U.S. Senate and House websites. Nongovernmental or commercial sources include resources such as HeinOnline and the Congressio nal Quarterly (CQ) websites. The report also highlights classes offered by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and the Law Library of Congress . This report will be updated as new information is available. Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations Congressional Research Service Contents Researching Cu rrent Federal Legislation ................................ ................................ ........................ 1 Governmental Sources ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 1 Capitol Hill Resource Centers ................................ ................................ ............................ 3 Schedule and Legislative Update Services ................................ ................................ ......... 5 Nongovernmental Sources of Federal Legislation ................................ ................................ .... 5 Researching Current Federal Regulations ................................ ................................ ....................... 7 Governmental Sources ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 7 Nongovernmental Sources of Federal Regulations ................................ ................................ ... 8 Media Sources ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 9 CRS Resources ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 10 Classes at CRS ................................ .........................

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....... ................................ ........................ 10 Selected CRS Reports ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 12 Contacts Author Contact Information ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 12 Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations Congressional Research Service 1 1esearching Current Federal Legislation Researching current federal legislation i ncludes identifying action on pending or passed legislation and locating the relevant documents or text. Analysis, discussion, or media coverage of pending or passed legislation also has a role in the legislative research process. Such research may be acco mplished by using governmental, congressional, or commercial services. &overnmental 2ources Congress.g ov http://www.congress.gov Congress.gov provides Members of Congress, their staff, and the general public access to a wide variety of information, including bill summary and status, bill text, committee referrals and committee reports, sponsors and cosponsors, and Congressional Reco rd text. A version of a bill or resolution will typically appear in Congress.gov a day or two after it is introduced or has had action on the floor of the House or Senat e. The text of bills is published by the Government Publish ing Office (GPO) and sent to the Library of Congress at various times throughout the day. For an estimate as to when GPO will publish a bill , contact the  GPO Congressional Desk for House bill versions at 202 - 512 - 0224 or  Senate Bill Clerk for Senate bill versions at 202 - 224 - 2118. Note that the bill number may not determine the chamber for the most recent version — f or example, “ H.R. 1792 RS ” is a Senate version (RS=Reported in Senate) of a House bill. Guidance in the use of Congress.gov is available at http://www.congress.gov/ help . T he Congress.gov Alert Service is available to any one who wants to obtain email alerts regarding action on bills and amendments for subjects that they identify. Once established, alerts run automatically and generat e emails Monday through Friday when there is new information. To learn more about alerts and how to create them, a brief video is available at https://www.congress.gov/ help/ tips/ managing - alerts . Congressional Record https://www.gpo.gov/ fdsys/ browse/ collection.action? collectionCode= CREC and available via

3 Congress.gov at http://www.congress
Congress.gov at http://www.congress.gov . Action on legislation passed or pending in the current Congress, and its status in the legislative process, is reported in the Congressional Record. The Record also contains the edited transcri pt of activities on the floor of the House and Senate. It is the primary source for the text of floor debates and the official source for recorded votes. The Record is published each day that one or both chambers are in session, except in instances when tw o or more consecutive issues are printed together. The Record ’s Daily Digest section summarizes action in each chamber and identifies committee hearings, new public laws, official foreign travel reports, procedural agreements, Senate unanimous consent agr eements, treaties and nominations actions, and committee meetings scheduled for the next legislative day. Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations Congressional Research Service 2 Indexes for the Record are issued twice a month. The Subject Index section can be used to identify bills by topic, and the History of Bills and Resol utions section tracks action on all legislation. Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents http://www.gpo.gov/ fdsys/ browse/ collection.action? collectionCode= CPD Publ ished by the Office of the Federal Register, the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents (and its predecessor, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents ) provides the dates on which the President signed or vetoed legislation. It also contains tr anscripts of presidential messages to Congress, executive orders, press releases, nominations submitted to the Senate, speeches, and other material released by the White House. govinfo.gov https://govinfo.gov The Governm ent Publishing Office launched govinfo .gov as a beta website in February 2016. It is still a work in progress and will eventually replace GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys) . It provides free public access to the full text of official publications from the three branches of the federal g overnment. Several govinfo tutorials and handouts are available on the site . Recorded webinars are also available through the Federal Depository Library Program Academy at https://fdlp.gov/ about - the - fdlp/ fdlp - academy . GPO Federal Digital System http://www.gpo.gov/ fdsys GPO’s FDsys is a website that enables GPO to display and deliver information from all branches of the U.S. government. Materials available on FDsys include the full text of bills, t

4 he Congressional Record and the Cong
he Congressional Record and the Congressiona l Record Index (which includes a History of Bills and Resolutions section), congressional calendars, public laws, selected congressional reports and documents, the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents , the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Document s , the Federal Register , and the Code of Federal Regulations . Coverage varies for each of these publications. FDsys will eventually be replaced by govinfo.gov (see entry above). Legislative Information System http://www.lis.gov The predecessor to Congress.gov, the Legislative Information System (LIS) , is still available but only to congressional staff. It is as current as Congress.gov and will continue to be available while further developments and improvements are made to Congress.gov. A specific date has not been set but plans are to retire LIS near the end of 2018 . Alerts that previously existed in LIS must be recreated in Congress.gov. U. S. House of Representatives Home Page http://www.house.gov This website provides i nformation from and about the House of Representatives, including the following:  Congressional calendars House calendars (104 th Congress, 1995 - present) http://www.gpo.gov/ fdsys/ browse/ collection.actioncollectionCode= CAL  House committee activities http://www.house.gov/ commi ttees Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations Congressional Research Service 3  Directory of Representatives by state, district, and name http://www.house.gov/ representatives  The chamber’s leadership http://www.house.gov/ leader ship  House roll call votes starting with the 101 st Congress, second session ( 1990 ) http://clerk.house.gov/ legislative/ legvotes.aspx  Brief descriptions of floor proceedings when the House is in session http://clerk.house.gov/ floorsummary/ floor.aspx U. S. Senate Home Page http://www.senate.gov This website offers l egislat ive m aterials from and about the Senate , includ ing the following:  Congressional calendars Senate calendars (104 th Congress, 1995 - present) http://www.senate.gov/ pagelayout/ legislative/ d_three_sections_with_teasers/ calendars.htm  Background information on and links to materials on the legislative process, including a “How a Bill Becomes a Law” flowchart http://www.senate.gov/ pagelayout/ legislative/ d_three_sections_with_teasers/ process.htm  Senate roll call votes starting with the 101 st Con

5 gress ( 1989 - 1990 ) http://www.senat
gress ( 1989 - 1990 ) http://www.senate.gov/ pagelayout/ legislative/ a_three_sections_with_teasers/ votes.htm  The chamber’s leadership http://www.senate.gov/ pagelayout/ senators/ a_three_sections_with_teasers/ leadership.htm  Descriptions of the Senate committee system and of individual committees http://www.senate.gov/ pagelayout/ committees/ d_three_sections_with_teasers/ committees_home.htm  Directories of Senators by name, state, class (term expiration date), and party http://www.senate.gov/ general/ contact_information/ senators_cfm.cfm  Glossary of common legislative terms http://www.senate.gov/ pagelayout/ reference/ b_three_sections_with_teasers/ glossary.htm Capitol Hill 1esource Centers House Documents Room http://clerk.house.gov/ legislative/ housed oc.aspx The House documents website provides links to sources for electronic copies of congressional bills, resolutions, and committee reports via the House Library and GPO’s govinfo.gov . Cannon House Office Building 106 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Monday - Friday Phone: (202) 226 - 5200. A weekly compilation of measures that may be considered on the House floor is available from the Office of the Clerk at http://docs.house.gov . Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations Congressional Research Service 4 House Legislative Resource Center http://clerk.house.gov/ about/ offices_Lrc.aspx The Legislative Resour ce Center (LRC) provides centralized access to all published documents originat ing in and produced by the House and its committees, the histo rical records of the House since 1792, and legislative and legal reference resources. Congressional staff can retrieve legislative information and records of the House for congressional offices and the public by contacting the LRC. Cannon House Office Buil ding 135 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Monday - Friday Phone: (202) 226 - 5200 House Library http://library.clerk.house.gov The House Library p rovides legislative, legal , and general reference services to Members of Congre ss, congressional staff, and the public. Library staff conduct s monthly classes on a variety of topics including how to access and use online resources. The reading room has reference materials and co m puters on which one may access subscription databases ; tours may be arranged upon request. A House Library Portal is available for access by House staff only a t http://library.house.gov . Cannon House Office Building 263 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

6 Monday - Friday Phone: (202) 225 - 90
Monday - Friday Phone: (202) 225 - 9000 Senate Library http://webster.senate.gov/ library (Not a public access site) The Senate Library serve s present and former Senators, M ember and committee staff, Senate leadership, and Senate officer s. The Library provides legislative, historic, legal, business , and general reference materials and research services . The Senate Library has a reading room, study carrels, computers, and a scanning and microform center; tours are available upon request. Senate Russell Office Building B - 15 9 :00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Monday - Friday or as long as the Senate is in session Phone: (202) 224 - 7106. Senate Printing and Documents Service http://w ww.senate.gov/ legislative/ common/ generic/ Doc_Room.htm The Senate Documents Ro om provides copies of bills, reports, Senate documents, and laws. Contact information is as follows: Hart Senate Building Office B - 04 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Monday - Friday Phone: ( 202 ) 224 - 7701 (availability inquiries only) Fax: ( 202 ) 228 - 2815 E - mail: orders@sec.senate.gov Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations Congressional Research Service 5 2chedule and Legislative 4pdate 2ervices Daily Schedule Information Both Senate parties and the House Democrat ic P arty provide daily recorded messages about floor proceedings when they are in session. The House Republican P arty no longer has a recording. Call the following numbers for cloakroom recordings: Senate at (202) 224 - 8541 (Democratic) or (202) 224 - 8601 (Repu blican) House at (202) 225 - 7400 (Democratic) Public Laws Update Service Information on new public law numbers assigned to recently enacted laws is available from the National Archives and Records Administration’s Office of the Federal Register Public Laws listserv at https://listserv.gsa.gov/ cgi - bin/ wa.exe? A 2 = ind 1511 & L= PUBLAWS - L& P= 65 . This service is strictly for e mail notification of new laws. Select “Subscribe” un der “Options” in the right - hand column. The text of laws is not ava ilable through this service. Text is available, on an irregular basis, from GPO ’s FDsys at http://www.g po.gov/ fdsys/ browse/ collection.action? collectionCode= PLAW . White House Executive Clerk’s Office By way of a recorded message, the Office of the Executive Clerk at the White House provides dates for the following information: presidential signings or v etoes of recent legislation, president

7 ial messages, executive orders, and othe
ial messages, executive orders, and other official presidential action. If the desired information is not in the taped message, callers can stay on the line to speak with a staffer. The recorded message is available at (202) 456 - 2226. Nongovernmental 2ources of Federal Legislation The inclusion of a web - based product under this heading does not imply CRS endorsement. Bloomberg Government https://www.bgov.com A subscription database that provides analysis as well as content from news sources worldwide. Services include alerts ; transcripts; searchable legislation; congressional, state, and distri ct profiles; and more. Coverage for most historical data begins with the 109 th Congress (20 05 - 2006). CQ.com ( Plus.CQ.com ) http://www.cq.com Plus.CQ.com is an updated version of the CQ.com ( Congressional Quarterly) subscription database that provides bill texts, summaries, tracking, and analysis. Among its other features are forecasts of major pending bills; versions of bills; links to related bills; roll - call votes; legislative histories; floor and committee schedules; detailed committee coverage; texts of committee reports; transcripts of witnesses’ testimon y; and publications such as CQ Weekly , CQ Almanac , the Congressional Record , and Roll Call . Time spans covered vary by the category of information. The latest addition to the product is a collection of CQ markup reports on each Member’s profile page. The ma rkups are only for the current C ongress and appear to be from each committee on which a Member serves. Plus . CQ.com is available in all Senate offices and the House Library. Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations Congressional Research Service 6 GovTrack http://www.govtrack.us GovTrack i s a free service that can help determine the status of U.S. federal legislation, voting records for the Senate and the House of Representatives, information on Members of Congress, congressional distric t maps, and the status of legislation. State legislati ve information is also available . Federal legislation may be searched and browsed back to the 93 rd Congress (1973 - 1974) and the text of legislation is available as far back as the 106 th Congress (1999 - 2000). GovTrack also provides useful b ill statistics , s uch as bill counts by Congress, from the 96 th Congress (1979 - 1980) to the present . Legislation can be searched by dockets and by subjects , and a bill search and track feature is available . GovTrack’s core

8 mission is to make legislative data fr
mission is to make legislative data freely availabl e so that others can build new tools to promote civic education and engagement. HeinOnline http:// heinonline.org HeinOnline is a searchable digital library of current and historical materials, including some congressional documents back to 1789. The database also includes legal journals, texts, cases, statutes, regulations, presidential materials, and treaties, as we ll as international and foreign legal journals, cases, and materials. Many are full text in the original page - image (PDF) format. HeinOnline is available only to subscribers. National Journal https://www.nat ionaljournal.com The National Journal Group covers the current political environment and emerging policy trends. Its information products include National Journal , T he Hotline , NationalJournal.com , The Almanac of American Politics , National Journal Daily , and National Journal On Air . All House and Senate offices have online access to NationalJournal.com, National Journal Daily , and National Journal Hotline , as well as to the print versions of National Journal Daily and the weekly National Journal Magazine . ProQuest Congressional http://congressional.proquest.com This database contains detailed abstracts and links to the full text of many congressional and federal documents, such as the Congressional Record , congressional hearing transcripts, committee prints, and legislative histories. Length of coverage varies depending on the category of information. This is the enhanced web - based counterpart of the CIS/Index to Publications of the United States Congress . This resource is fee - based and accessible only to subscribers. ProQuest Congressional is available to all House and Senate offices. Qu o rum http://quorum.us Quorum provides detailed analytics on everything related to Cong ress and its Members. Launched in January 2015, Quorum provides federal level tracking for bills, votes, amendments, floor statements, press releases, Dear Colleague Letters , and a full suite of social media posts as far back as the 101 st Congress (1989). There is a major focus on grassroots engagement tools that enable Members, advocates, legislative professionals, companies, and citizens to influence the legislative process. Quorum also allows users to track issues and to search for and monitor legislatio n and dialogue across all 50 states. The product uses ESRI geospatial technology and Census data in a legislative platform to provide unique characteristics

9 of each congressional district. Many
of each congressional district. Many reviewers and users have dubbed Quorum “Google for Congress.” This is a fee - based subscription service. Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations Congressional Research Service 7 VoteView https:// voteview.com Hosted by UCLA’s Department of Political Science and Social Computing , Voteview allows users to view every congressional roll call vote since 1789 on a map of the United States and on a liberal - conservative ideological map , including information about the ideological positions of voting Senators and Representatives. It also provides Geographic Information System (GIS) boundaries for congressional di stricts back to 1789. This beta product has a “geography” tab that allows the user to enter an address or ZIP Code to create a historical list of all Members who represented that district. This is an update to a DOS - based product developed by Keith T. Poole and Howard Rosenthal at Carnegie - Mellon University between 1989 and 1992 . 1esearching Current Federal 1egulations Regulations are issued by federal departments and agencies under the authority delegated to them by federal law. 1 Final rules are printed in the Federal Register (FR) and later codified by subject in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) . &overnmental 2ources Code of Federal Regulations http://www.gpo.gov/ fdsys/ browse/ collectionCfr.action? collectionCode= CFR The CFR codifies final rules having general applicability and legal effect that first appeared in the F ederal R egister . CFR titles are arranged by subject , and t he entire CFR is revised annually (one - quarter of the titles at a time) in January, April, July, and October. Because the annual revision incorporates new regulations and drops superseded ones, the CFR reflects regulations in effect at the time of printing. An index volume that includes tables accompanies the set. By using the FR and CFR sources, with their many finding aids, it is possible to identify existing regulations in a subject area or those that pertain to a specific title and section of the United States Co de , identify regulations issued pursuant to a specific public law, and find proposed regulations that are not yet final. 2 The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, https://www.ecfr.gov (e - CFR), is the current, updated version of the CFR . However, it is not an official legal edition of the CFR , but an unofficial editorial compilation of CFR material and FR

10 amendments produced by the National Arc
amendments produced by the National Archives and Records Administration’s Office of the Federal Register (OF R) and GPO. The OFR updates the e - CFR daily . Federal Register http://www.gpo.gov/ fdsys/ browse/ collection.action? collectionCode= FR The FR contains the official announce ment of regulations and legal notices issued by federal departments and agencies. It includes proposed and final federal regulations having general 1 For more information, see CRS Report RL32240, The Federal Rulemaking Process: An Overview , coordinated by Maeve P. Carey . 2 For more information, see archived CRS Report RL30812, Federal Statutes: What They Are and Where to Find Them , by Cassandra L. Foley . Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations Congressional Research Service 8 applicability and legal effect; executive orders and presidential proclamations; documents required to be pu blished by an act of Congress; and other federal documents of public inte rest. Daily and monthly indexes and an accompanying publication, “ List of CFR Sections Affected , ” aid in its use. The FR also publishes the “Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and D eregulatory Actions” twice yearly (usually in April and October). This document provides advance notice of proposed rulemaking by listing all rules and proposed rules that more than 60 federal departments, agencies, and commissions expect to issue during t he next six months. Regulations that concern the military or foreign affairs, or that deal with agency personnel, organization, or management matters, are excluded. The agenda is available online from 1994 through the present. govinfo.gov https://govinfo.gov See entry under “ Researching Current Federal Legislation — Governmental Sources ” above. GPO Federal Digital System http://www.gpo.gov/ fdsys See entry under “ Researching Current Federal Legislation — Governmental Sources ” above. RegInfo.gov http://www.reginfo.gov The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and t he General Services Administration (GSA) produce the RegInfo.gov website , which provides a list of all rules undergoing Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) E.O. 12866 regulatory review. Updated daily, it also provides a list of all rules on which review has bee n concluded in the past 30 days, lists and statistics on regulat ory reviews dating back to 1981, and letters to agencies regarding regulatory actions. Regulations

11 .gov http://www.regulations. gov Th
.gov http://www.regulations. gov This website was launched to enhance public participation in federal regulatory activities. Users can search Proposed Rules and Regulations from more than 176 federal departments and agencies along with notices from the Federal Register . Many proposed regulations include a link to a comment form that readers can complete and submit to the appropriate department or agency. Regulations.gov is updated each business day with proposed new regulations. Among the database’s search options are keyword or subjec t, department or agency name, regulations published today, comments due today, open regulations o r comments by publication dates, docket ID, Regulation Identifier Number, or CFR citation s . W hite House Executive Clerk’s Office See entry under “ Schedule and Legislative Update Services” above. Nongovernmental 2ources of Federal 1egulations The inclusion of a web - based product under this heading does not imply CRS endorsement . Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations Congressional Research Service 9 BNA’s Daily Report for Executives http:// dailyreport.bna.com This online report covers a broad spectrum of issues, providing news reports and links to the full text of key documents, such as proposed and final legislation, regulations, testimony, and fact sheets summarizing major issues. Availabl e in electronic and print formats to paid subscribers. Federal Regulatory Director y https://us.sagepub.com/ en - us/ nam/ federal - regulatory - directory/ book245062 This link leads to product description and purchase information for the Federal Regulatory Directory , which provides profiles of the mandates and operations of more than 100 federal regulatory agencies and is published every two years. Each profile gives a brief history and description of the agency and its regulatory oversight responsibilities and lists key staff, information sources, legislation, and regional offices. It also provides an overview of the federal regulatory process. Other aids are the full texts of key regulatory acts and executive orders, a guide to using the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations , and subject and name indexes. HeinOnline http://heinonline.org See entry under “ Nongovernmental Sources of Federal Legislation ” above. ,edia 2ources Print and web - based media sources provide useful background information on the status of fede ral legislation and regulations through their reporting, political ana

12 lysis, and editorial perspectives. The
lysis, and editorial perspectives. The inclusion of a web - based product under this heading does not imply CRS endorsement of the product. CQ.com (Plus.CQ.com) http://www.cq.com In addition to the legislative analysis and tracking role of this fee - based subscription service, CQ.com provides a daily news feature, full - text of CQ Weekly , Budget Tracker for articles on appropriations bills and continuing resolutions, and a variety of CQ specialty news sources , including CQ Healthbeat . RSS news feeds are also provided as news occurs. CQ Roll Call http://www.rollcall.com CQ Roll Call , a daily newspaper, has been cover ing Capitol Hill news since 1955. It is free to congressional staff, both online and in print. C - SPAN.org http://www.c - span.org C - SPAN is a private, nonprofit company, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a public service. Its mission is to provide public access to the political process. The Hill http://www.thehill.com The Hill is a newspaper for and about Congress . It is published Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday when Congress is in session and Wednesday only when Congress is out of session. Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations Congressional Research Service 10 Politico http://www.politico.com Politico.com covers political news with a focus on national politics, Congress, Capitol Hill, the presidential elections , lobbying, and advocacy. Politico Pro https://www.politicopro.com This premium subscriptio n service goes beyond the standard political news coverage of its sister publication, Politico. According to its website, Politico Pro was launched in June 2010 to provide “access to intense Politico - style coverage of Washington’s most important policy iss ues.” I t currently covers 14 issue areas : a griculture, budgets & appropriations brief, c ampaigns, c ybersecurity, d efense, e ducation, eHealth, e nergy, Europe brief, f inanci al s ervices , h ealth c are, e mployment and immigration , t echnology, t rade, t ransportati on , and t ax . C12 1esources Classes at C12 Introduction to Legislative Research This two - and - a - half - hour seminar , offered six times a year by the Law Library of Congress and CRS , is designed for those with no legal research experience . A Law Library specialist will discuss the print and electronic sources used when conducting federal legislative research. Participants will be shown where and how to use the various print and

13 electronic resources containing bills,
electronic resources containing bills, enacted laws, and codified laws. In ad dition to covering the official and unofficial print publications, the seminar will demonstrate the relative strengths and substantive content of various Internet resources, such as Congress.gov, GPO ’s govinfo.gov , and others. This program is open to inter ns who have attended the CRS Intern Orientation. To register, go to http://www.crs.gov/ Events/ category/ 3 , and select the “Register” tab. Federal Legislative History Research: Using Print and Electroni c Resources This two - and - a - half - hour seminar is offered four time s a year. It examines methods of identifying and locating electronic and print versions of legislative history resources, including committee reports, hearings, debates , and other relevant materials. Research techniques are illu strated using a case study. The seminar emphasizes both Internet and traditional print research techniques . It is jointly sponsored by the Law Library of Congress and CRS . A Law Library specialist will discuss various electronic and print publications containing federal laws and how to research the legislative history of those laws. Participants will be shown where and how to locate electronic and print versions of congressional documents, including bills, resolutions, committee reports and prints, and floor debates that are generated in the legislative process. Sources of compiled legislative histories and methods of compiling legislative histories will be covered. Internet sources will be discussed , includ ing Congress.gov and other Library of Congress sites, GPO’s govinfo.gov , various congre ssional sites, and others. Fee - based databases such as Lexis or Westlaw will not be covered. This program is open to interns who have attended the CRS Intern Ori entation. To register, go to http://www.crs.gov/ Events/ category/ 3 , and select the “Register” tab. Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations Congressional Research Service 11 Federal Statutory Research: Using Print and Electronic Resources This seminar examines methods of identifying and locating print and electronic versions of statutes and conducting research in the United States Code . It describes historical sources of federal statutory law and illustrates research techniques using case s tudies. The Law Library of Congress and the Congressional Research Service jointly sponsor this seminar, which emphasizes both Internet and traditi onal print

14 research techniques. Knowledge of the
research techniques. Knowledge of the U nited S tates Code and Legislative Procedure is a prerequisi te for this program. A Law Library specialist will discuss electronic and print chronological and topical publications containing federal statutory law, including electronic and print sources of public law s and the United States Code . The seminar will cove r the organizational principles and featur es facilitating research, the historical development of federal statutory publications, and the significance of enactment of titles of the United States Code into positive law. Internet sources will be discussed , i nclud ing Congress.gov and other Library of Congress sites, various congressional sites, GPO ’s govinfo.gov , Cornell ’s Legal Information Institute si te, and others. F ee - based databases such as Lexis or Westl aw will not be covered. This program is open to int erns who have attended the CRS Intern Orientation. To register, go to http://www.crs.gov/ Events/ category/ 3 , and select the “Register” tab. Introduction to Congress Courses CRS regularly provide s classroom instruction to congressional staff on legislative process and procedure. Two such courses are available to House and Senate staff :  Congress: An Introduction to Resources and Procedure. This is an all - day program designed for those seeking a bett er understanding of the legislative process and the resourc es available to monitor it. The program is not open to interns. Attendance at this program is a prerequisite for the Advanced Legislative Process Institute Seri es (see below). Registration informat ion is available at http://www.crs.gov/ Events/ category/ 4 .  Legislative Concepts. CRS also offers a monthly introductory “Legislative Concepts” class to House staff and interns in the House Learning Cen ter. Information is available on HouseNet at https://housenet.house.gov/ training under “ Training .” Advanced Legislative Process Institute This Institute builds on the basic procedures and resources provi ded in “Congress: An Introduction to Resources and Procedure.” In - depth sessions describe processes and procedural strategy that are specific to each chamber. Additional information on this class and others can be found at http://www.crs.gov/ under the “Events” tab. House Advanced Legislative Process Institute Series (HALPS) This overview of the “ other chamber ” includes a description of the Senate ’s rules and norms, and salient comm

15 ittee and floor procedures, focusing on
ittee and floor procedures, focusing on those that differ from the House. Other discussion will cover the Senate ’s orientation toward individuals and minorities; its attitude toward and use of committees; its norm of colle ctive scheduling of legislation; its use of motions to proceed, unanimous consent, and time agreements to call up, consider, and amend measures; the role of the presiding officer; holds; filibusters ; and invoking cloture. This program is not open to intern s. Register at http://www.crs.gov/ Events/ category/ 4 . Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations Congressional Research Service 12 Senate Advanced Legislative Process Institute Series (SALPS) This overview of the “other chamber” is an introduction to the organization and opera tion of the House with an emphasis on differences in procedure and their impact on legislation. Please note, regist ration is separate for each session. Register at http://www.crs.gov/ Events/ category/ 4 . This program is not open to interns. Note: A calendar year listing of CR S classes is not available. The class listings appear on the CRS Events page a few weeks before the scheduled date and when registration is open . 2elected C12 1eports Additional information on researching legislation and regulations is provided in the following CRS reports . CRS Report R43056, Counting Regulations: An Overview of Rulemaking, Types of Federal Regulations, and Pages i n the Federal Register , by Maeve P. Carey . CRS Report RL32240, The Federal Rulemaking Process: An Overview , coordinated by Maeve P. Carey . CRS Report RL30812, Federal Statutes: What They Are and Where to Find Them , by Cassandra L. Foley . CRS Report 98 - 309, House Legislative Procedures: Published Sources of Information , by Megan S. Lynch . CRS Report R 41865, Legislative History Research: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff , by Julia Taylor . CRS Report RS21363, Legislative Procedure in Congress : Basic Sources for Congressional Staff , by Jennifer E. Manning and Michael Greene . CRS Report RS20120, Legislative Support Resources: Offices and Websites for Congressional Staff , by Jennifer E. Manning and Michael Greene . CRS Report 98 - 673, Publications of Congressional Committees: A Summary , by Matthew E. Glassman . CRS Report 98 - 308, Senate Legislati ve Procedures: Published Sources of Information , by Christopher M. Davis . uthor Contact (nformation Jerry W. Mansfield Head Reference Services jmansfield@crs.loc.gov ,